74.0°,
Mostly Cloudy Lady Rocks capture Class C title
East Rockaway beats Friends Academy 8-2
Senior Cara Camerada hit a two-run homer in the top of the first inning to set the tone, and East Rockaway got solid pitching from junior Gianna Cilluffo as the Lady Rocks knocked off Friends Academy, 8-2, on Monday afternoon to sweep the Nassau Class C softball championship series at Mitchel Athletic Complex.
The win gave East Rockaway an unprecedented ninth Class C title, and the Lady Rocks advanced to the opening round of the New York State Class C tournament. They will be idle until June 5, when they will play an opponent to be determined at Heroes Field in Lake Nanuet.
East Rockaway played the second game without coach Joe Lores, who was attending his daughter’s college graduation.
Senior captain Kerrianne Vulpis said she was proud of the job the team did. “No individual had a great game — we played as a team,” Vulpis said. “Coach talked about how John Wooden believed that preparing a team to succeed is done during practice, and if the coach did the job well, he doesn’t even have to be at the game. I thought we did a real nice job as a team.”
The Lady Rocks took the series opener last Friday, 10-5. Cilluffo and junior Sam Mantovani each hit two-run home runs to lead the offensive fireworks. Senior Katie Seifert was 3 for 3 with a double. Junior catcher Jessica Deptulski was the defensive star, cutting down two base stealers.
In Monday’s clincher, Vulpis reached base to lead off the game, and Camerada blasted the ball deep over the left fielder’s head to give the Rocks a 2-0 lead before the first out was recorded.
East Rockaway appeared to have the game well in hand when it took a 7-0 lead in the top of the fifth, but the Lady Quakers answered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning.
Cilluffo had to work out of jams in the fifth and seventh innings to preserve the win. Senior MaryKate Vulpis, Kerrianne’s twin sister, made a fine catch in the bottom of the seventh to help thwart a Friends rally.
Kerrianne, who broke the program’s career hits mark late in the regular season, said she thinks the team will be prepared for the state tournament. “It’s a long break, but it gives us time to practice things that we need to get better at,” she said. “We’ll scrimmage some tough opponents and prepare. I think we’ll do well.”
